Bail Doubled In Videotaping

MANCHESTER — A judge Thursday doubled the bail of an East Hartford Special Olympics coach who police say secretly videotaped a 15-year-old acquaintance while she changed into a bikini in his bedroom.

William Noel, 34, of 465 Buckland Hills Drive, was arrested on a warrant Wednesday charging him with voyeurism and risk of injury to a minor. Noel knows the girl through the Special Olympics program sponsored by East Hartford's parks and recreation department, where they were both coaches during the past season, according to the arrest warrant released Thursday.

Noel's bail was originally set at $25,000, but in Superior Court in Manchester Thursday, Judge Patricia A. Swords raised it to $50,000. She also ordered that Noel -- who has high blood pressure and attempted to take his life the day of the incident -- be placed on medical and suicide watches. Swords also ordered him not to have contact with the teen and to return to court Sept. 30.

According to the warrant, the incident happened the afternoon of Aug. 22, when the girl was helping Noel baby-sit three young relatives. The children, who police said range in age from 1 to 6, are not believed to have been victims of a crime.

The teenager tried to get into Noel's master bathroom to change into her bathing suit, but the door didn't open. When she asked if he had locked the bathroom door, he said no, the warrant states. The lock sticks, he told her.

She then changed in his bedroom. After she had put on her bikini bottoms and removed her bra, she noticed what appeared to be a camera lens covered by a plastic bag on a back shelf of his closet, the report says. She finished changing off camera, removed the bag and noticed a red light on the camera, police said.

She couldn't shut the camera off or get the tape out, she told police, so she handed it to Noel and told him to give her the tape. Although he initially denied there was a tape in the camera, he eventually got it out and gave it to her, the warrant states. He repeatedly begged her not to tell anyone, the girl told police. The teen left the apartment with the tape and waited for her ride.

Police learned about the incident from Noel's sister, who later called police from his apartment to report that Noel had overdosed on pills. When Officer Scott Plourde arrived, Noel appeared dazed, but was conscious and breathing, police said. He was treated and transported to Manchester Memorial Hospital.

His sister told police she believes he tried to kill himself because he was caught trying to videotape a girl. Police obtained the tape from the teen's father.

The camera had captured Noel setting it up, the warrant states. Noel also appeared to make his bedroom floor messy to lure the girl to change in a cleared area within the camera's range, police said.

Besides the Special Olympics, Noel has done other work for East Hartford, including working for the town's annual haunted mansion. A bail commissioner said in court that he also has done maintenance work for the Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall.

East Hartford Mayor Timothy D. Larson said Noel is still on the town's payroll.

``He's a good kid with a problem, obviously,'' Larson said. ``Frankly, from our perspective, we're going to let the courts do what they need to do. He has not been proven guilty.''

Sgt. John Maston of the department's Child Investigations Section said Thursday police have not received any other complaints about Noel.